There have been few books devoted to the study of phonons, acknowledged as a major area of condensed matter physics. The Physics of Phonons is a comprehensive up-to-date theoretical discussion of the most important topics, including some topics not previously presented in book form. Although primarily theoretical in approach, the author refers to experimental results wherever possible ensuring the book is ideal for both experimental and theoretical researchers. The author begins with an introduction to crystal symmetry, and continues with a discussion of lattice dynamics in the harmonic approximation. This is presented at two levels; the traditional phenomenological approach and the more recent ab initio approach, detailed for the first time in this book.
